[Paleopsych] a detail

[Werbos, Dr. Paul J.]

At 03:04 PM 9/13/2004 -0300, Arnoldo Jose de Hoyos wrote:
>Dear Paul,
>
>Recently I attended both Michel Moore´s Farenheit 11( www.michaelmoore.com 
>) and  The Corporation ( www.thecorporation.tv ) so I understand how You 
>may be feeling about critical / appocaliptical  energy related issues, 
>particularly  when the leading nation lacks of appropiate  political 
>leadership; and timing  seems  too short to wait for next generation of 
>Indigo kind of children to take care...
>But still the question is to what extent we are all at the personal levels 
>doing some spiritual progress and helping others to awaken to other realms 
>of reality. Our struggle for life has being with us since the begining , 
>but now we are at a time when planetary stakes are on the table , and 
>hence a challenge to learn about higher principles that may become more 
>present as our levels of consciousness evolve.
>We pray that You may continue to be a Prophet for this appocaliptical 
>times, reminding us of the risks and opportunities ahead.

Thank you very much for your kind message, Arnoldo!

I will keep trying. Your encouragement -- and the memory of a time
of sanity in Sao Paolo -- will help very much.

-----------------

It is amusing how many themes keep recurring in new contexts, as with a 
kaleidoscope.

For example, when half-awake this morning, I thought about this "asteroid" 
metaphor I have been
using lately.

Where did this metaphor come from? To be honest, I was thinking about what 
hits the fan, in a common
expression we use here. I did not wish to specify the substance in the 
common expression, because
people are very polarized about what language to accept.

But... I remembered...

as we discuss Armageddon scenarios... that the asteroid (metaphor?) is 
actually used
in the Book of Revelations as well.

I do not believe in fundamentalism, in the exact truth of the Bible. But like
Quaker Universalists in general, I do think there is some kind of valid 
inspiration or synchronicity
in the Bible and in many other books, such as the Tao Te Ching, or Jules 
Verne, or even Ayn Rand or
the science fictoin novels of Orson Scott Card (a highly respected Mormon).
Or even in our own dreams for that matter. All risky but real.

And I remembered (I think) that the asteroid in Revelations was named
Wormwood.

And then I felt like laughing... for in Revelatoins, the folks who get 
killed are killed because
of toxic stuff ala wormwood going into the world's water supply. And what 
is that
toxic stuff? Probably pretty much like wood alcohol -- like methanol or MBTE.
So here I am advocating more methanol use fast...
How do I respond?

First, the danger of groundwater contamination from methanol in leaky gas 
stations is one of the few
valid concerns expressed by the vested interests (who go 'way beyond that, 
however -- they tend
to slander methanol in about the same way as they slander Kerry...)...

But: gasoline is as toxic as methanol, and methanol has an easier antidote 
at hand (ethanol).

The US **ALREADY** has a serious groundwater contamination problem, and has 
for a few decades,
involving gasoline and additives in gasoline. That's the main factor which 
has stalled
the energy bill. (I wish that theft of taxpayer money alone had been enough 
to stall it,
but what can we do?)

And so... if we WAIT until we need to move to methanol in a hurry, then we 
could risk expanded
contamination problems, ala Wormwood. But if we PREPARE..

I would in fact propose that we bite the bullet, and phase in more solid 
leakproof tanks
in all gas stations in the US, able to handle gasoline or methanol without 
leakage.

People have at times said that the US can't afford that. But if we start 
now, we can
do a kind of steady rollover, not too expensive in any year.

And I wonder: how is it that Brazil has gone to strict safety (above ground 
tanks even) in all of its gas stations?
Is Brazil richer than the US? Is that why they can afford it? Or do 
Brazilians rely on tap
water more than Californians, say, do?

============

By the way, there is also a passage in Revelations that talks about 
chemical and biological weapons
coming from the Tigris and Euphrates. I have wondered at times whether that 
affected Bush's decision.
Yet it also talks about the frog that was removed form power, and amazed 
the world by coming back.
Just as a game ... to titillate the imagination... could it be that the net 
effect of Bush's Iraq policy
will be to bring back the frog Saddam Hussein in the end, who will get his 
vengeance by doing exactly what
Bush most accused him of doing? I hope not. I certainly don't consider it 
inevitable.
But I certainly wouldn't call it impossible either at this point.

---------

But... that's too much crazy noise already, no?

Back to normal routines...

Best of luck to us all,

    Paul

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